The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) has called on the Government to take immediate steps to nullify the Presidential Office Act 1993, (Act 463) to trim the number of appointments a president could make.
According to the Association, the Act, in its current form, gave the President the unlimited power to appoint all categories of Presidential Staffers without recourse to the financial situation of the country.
Dr Isaac Bampoe Addo, the Executive Secretary, CLOGSAG, made the call at a news conference in Accra, on Tuesday.
Article 195(1) of the Constitution stipulates that: “Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, the power to appoint persons to hold or act in an office in the public services shall vest in the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the governing council if the service concerned given in consultation with the Public Services Commission.”
Dr Addo said, over the years, CLOGSAG had “observed and noted with dismay” the abuse of Executive power in the appointment of numerous presidential staffers and special assistants to perform jobs of public servants.
That, he said, had tainted the credibility of the Public Services and belittled its relevance.
“This situation has contributed to an alarming development of takeover of Public Services jobs by political apparatchiks and cohorts. These clandestine acts by the political elite, if not checked will erode the significance and support base of our governance architecture and systems.
Dr Addo said the Presidential Office Act was “unwarranted” and only served as a conduit to employ “party apparatchiks” and “goro boys” who only undermined the work of Public Servants.
He indicated that the Act duplicated the work of the appointing authorities of the Civil Service and the Local Government Councils, describing it as a “bad law being used by the Executive to its advantage.”
Dr Addo said Article 190 of the 1992 Constitution, outlined the Public Services of Ghana, prescribing how it should be organised and staffed, adding that the Civil Services Act 1993, (PNDCL 327), also stipulated that the objective of the Civil Service was to help the government to formulate and implement policies for national development.
He, therefore, called on the Public Services Commission to take steps to pursue a Constitutional Instrument to regulate public services, including the Office of the President.
Dr Addo explained that the country would benefit greatly if the Act was immediately nullified.
“Currently, Ghana is bedeviled with certain economic woes that can be attributed to these practices. These issues and challenges to a considerable extent are self-inflicted and can easily be forestalled if due process and recognition of the constitution are adhered to,” he said.
He warned that the Association would embark on numerous industrial actions including demonstrations if the Act were not nullified in the shortest possible time.